Norah Jones on Creativity, Parenthood, and Finding Joy in Music

With over two decades of musical brilliance, nine solo albums, and more than 11 billion streams to her name, Norah Jones continues to evolve—artistically and personally. In a recent Vanity Fair interview published on May 7, 2025, the Grammy-winning singer-songwriter offered an intimate look into her life, reflecting on a career defined by authenticity, experimentation, and resilience.

Jones’s signature blend of jazz, soul, country, and pop first took the world by storm with her 2002 debut, Come Away With Me. Yet, as the Vanity Fair piece highlights, she has never stopped exploring. From collaborations with legends like Ray Charles and Dolly Parton to spontaneous jam sessions with indie favorites like Jeff Tweedy, Jones has remained steadfast in her pursuit of musical joy.

“I never wanted to chase a formula,” she told Vanity Fair. “Music has to feel good first—it has to feel real.”

That sense of sincerity pulses through her most recent project, Visions, released on March 8, 2024. A vibrant departure from her earlier work, the album channels a “funky, gently psychedelic garage-soul” aesthetic, recorded in an unusually spontaneous process with producer Leon Michels. Visions went on to win the Grammy Award for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album at the 67th Annual Grammy Awards, further cementing Jones’s ability to reinvent without losing her soul.

Raised in Texas by her mother and largely estranged from her famous father, sitar virtuoso Ravi Shankar, Jones says her grounding came not from celebrity but from the diverse and rich musical culture around her. “I soaked up everything,” she said, “jazz, blues, old country music—it all became part of me.”

Now a mother of two, Jones lives in New York, where she records music at home with her husband, musician Pete Remm. Balancing parenting with touring and recording hasn’t dulled her creative fire—in fact, she’s found renewed inspiration through it. “Having kids made me want to play more,” she shared. “There’s a looseness that comes with just letting go.”

That relaxed, improvisational spirit is on full display in her podcast, Norah Jones Is Playing Along, where she engages in candid musical conversations with artists and friends. The series offers fans another avenue to appreciate her versatility—not just as a performer, but as a thoughtful, curious listener.

As she looks to the future, Jones remains committed to creating art that reflects her life in the moment. “I’m not trying to outdo anything,” she says. “I just want to keep growing, keep connecting, and keep having fun.”

With Visions, a thriving family life, and an ever-deepening catalog of soulful sounds, Norah Jones proves once again that the truest form of success is staying true to yourself.